Ten

Ten years ago today my mom left earth for heaven. One day she was golfing and playing cards on vacation, and the next she was in the hospital, never to regain consciousness. She died happy. It was like a lifetime ago. Actually, in my world, it was two lifetimes ago: the lives of my kids, to be exact. I thought I would honor her with some tens, in no particular order.

Ten things I miss about my mom:

1. Her laughter
2. Her listening ear
3. Her spaghetti
4. Her reassuring way, and belief that everything would work out
5. Her delight in being with family
6. Playing cards and games with her
7. Celebrating with her
8. Watching the Olympics and Vikings football with her
9. Going to her house and letting her spoil us
10. Of course, most of all, watching her enjoy her grandchildren

Ten (or more) things I'm thankful for about my mom:

1. That she raised us in church and passed her faith along to us
2. Her example of total commitment to raising her children well
3. Her caring, supportive heart
4. Her positive attitude
5. Her determination to always do the right thing
6. Her attention to beauty and detail
7. The amazing amount of confidence she had in me
8. Her love of music
9. That when I got my first credit card she made me promise to always pay my balance off in full, every month
10. That she gathered enough courage to come visit me in the Philippines
    
    
    
11. That she lived long enough to be at my wedding
12. That she lived long enough to see me become a mom for the first time

Ten things I wish I could ask or talk to her about:

1. Her favorite memories from our years of growing up
2. The highs and lows of her life as a mom
3. What it was like parenting us through the teen years
4. Her childhood memories of friends and family
5. Is it just my imagination, or is Bethany a whole lot like I was as a little girl?
6. Was I really that stubborn determined?
7. Being sorry (but not too sorry) Acknowledging that my stubbornness determination might (possibly) have created some parenting challenges for her (and pointing out to her that it's gotten me a long way in life!)
8. How she endured all those years of swim meets
9. How thankful I am that she did
10. The many things that never crossed my mind before I became a mom

Thank you so much, Lord,

for giving me an amazing mom.

She was, and will always be,

one of your most precious gifts to me.